Editorial
Front Page - Friday, February 11, 2011
A Day in the Life
Rebecca Brockman
It’s easy to waste time. Hours skip by as you watch a TV show or bum around the house looking for something meaningful to occupy your time. Unfortunately, boredom usually leads to spending money – money you wouldn’t be forking over if you had something to occupy your time. It’s a vicious circle.
I recently broke free from that circle (for a brief moment) when I signed up to become a volunteer with Heifer Inter-national, a non-profit head-
quartered in Little Rock, Ark.
Most people are familiar with the organization, but in case you aren’t, I will give you the short version: Heifer International’s mission is to end world hunger through the gift of livestock and training.
The name of the organization came from founder, Dan West, who recognized the benefit of giving a whole cow to a community instead of a cup of milk. He coined the phrase, “Not a cup, but a cow.” It’s similar to the Chinese proverb, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Heifer helps people around the world lead sustainable lives.
To have the opportunity to be involved with such a life changing organization right here, in my own backyard, was too good to ignore.
Of course, I Googled (a solution my mother suggests in any and every situation) Heifer and found a “Volunteer” tab, and after a few more clicks, sent an email to the volunteer director.
Within a 24-hour time period, I received an email with about five attached documents for me to fill out. I was on my way! It took a little while to complete the forms, but I was determined to continue rolling “the ball,” so I sent them back the same day.
Then, I received an email asking me to come in for an interview. What? I had never been asked to interview for a volunteer position – ever. I quickly learned just how professional and thorough the organization is. Next came volunteer orientation, which was a half-day affair from 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on a recent Saturday. Again, I was so impressed with the level of professionalism, attention to detail and how everything was handled.
The orientation took place at Heifer Village, which is an interactive exhibit hall next to the corporate office building in downtown Little Rock.
If you plan on being in the Natural State and haven’t taken the time to check out Heifer Village, please make plans to visit! It’s a great place to take the whole family and it’s free. The Village is hands-on and teaches people, especially kids, about the five major parts of a village: Healthcare, Education, Infrastructure, Agriculture and Fair Trade.
During the orientation, we got the opportunity to learn about one of the exhibits and give a mock tour to the other volunteers in the class. It was a lot of fun and such a phenomenal learning experience.
At the end of the day, my brain was on overload and needed a few hours to process everything. Now that I’ve had some time to think and reflect on the orientation, I’m excited about being a volunteer at Heifer. I’m going to be leading tours of the LEED certified green building and working the info desk at the Village on Saturdays.
Thankfully, I am partnered with a coach who will stay with me until I’m ready to do it all on my own. Give me a couple months and then come by for a tour from yours truly.
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